The copper smelting plant of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex is the final decisive link in the chain of production processes such as mining, beneficiation, and processing. In the Copper Smelting Plant the result of the hard work of the enterprise with about 36 thousand workers will be represented.

The decision on incorporation of this enterprise was adopted on May 17, 1958. At that time, the construction of the factory was recognized as a productive area, and construction work was started on a large scale. In 1963, 17 contracting organizations has achieved to install the main equipment of the site and put into operation. On November 25, 1963 The furnace of the copper smelter was turned on for heating. At 13:30 on December 31 of that year first time metal smeling was implemented, the product with 98.6 percent of copper was added in the first product of the enterprise.

On April 14, 1964, for the first time in the former Soviet Union, the removal of copper from unnecessary rocks by fire method was carried out in movable anode furnaces. Construction of the plant's copper electrolysis shop was completed in September 1964. By September 17, the electrode baths were energized with an electric current, and the anode copper was loaded with acidic solutions. The next day, the first pure cathode copper of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex was obtained.

The construction of the copper smelter was completed in December 1975, and on December 30 of the same year, the SK-23 section of the Sulfuric Acid Shop was put into operation.

From the first years of our country's independence, our government began to pay special attention to the technical and technological rearmament of the combined main metallurgical enterprise and the increase of production indicators. The gold and silver refining plant in December 1991, and the rare metals production plant in 2001 were put into operation. This is evidence of the leadership of our country's leadership in the economic development of the complex, in particular, the Copper Smelting Plant.

The quality of the products of the combine specializing in obtaining products in the methods of mining, transportation, beneficiation, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy and electrolysis of sulfide, copper-molybdenum ores is distinguished by the high demand for it in the world market. If we look at the production indicators of the copper smelting plant and the products obtained at the end of the technological processes, the enterprise produces more than 148 thousand tons of cathode copper per year, in addition, gold, silver, technical selenium, technical tellurium, enameled copper wires, ammonium perrhenate, sulfate acid, calcined molybdenum semi-finished products are produced. In order to significantly reduce the amount of gases released into the environment, noteworthy works have been carried out in recent years within the framework of the program of reconstruction and stabilization of the main production facilities. Technological waste gases of metallurgical production were received in the 3rd and 4th departments of the Sulfuric acid shop, and the production of sulfuric acid was started. The new Sulfuric acid workshop commissioned in 2014 based on the project of the German company "Outotec GmbH" justified the trust with its stable operation and high work efficiency. Continuing the work in this direction, the construction of Sulfuric acid plant No. 5 with a production capacity of 1 million 300 thousand tons per year is underway. Development of technical and economic basis documents for the construction of a new metallurgical complex based on the selected "Flash Smelting-Flash Converting" - balanced melting and balanced converting technology is being carried out by "Metso Outotec" company. As part of the visit of the head of our state to Germany on September 29, 2023, a $2.55 billion contract was signed with Germany's KfW-IPEX Bank on the financing of this project.

In order to achieve the planned indicators of production, repair schedules were developed and approved for the purpose of repairing the main metallurgical units, improving the operation of the main and auxiliary equipment, and increasing the duration of their operation. The projects envisaged within the program of re-equipment and stabilization of production capacities of "Almalyk MMC" JSC have recently entered their final stage.

Hasan ABDULLAYEV